Alias??

[Hugh Thompson]

I keep coming across Alias in my mothers family in Cornwall, and I've read a few articles about ailas's and no one seems to be sure of their exact connotations,but the other day I was looking at an old family tree in the Visitations of Cornwall, and I noticed how the spelling changed through the years.
First in the 1500's it was eg,John Ley of Kempthorne. then later on,John Ley al'as, Kempthorne,then John Ley al's,Kempthorne then later again John Ley alias Kempthorne.
Does anyone actually know the real meaning as Kempthorne doesn't appear to be a place,so was it just to tie in the other family's name. Regards Hugh.:confused:

[ash33au]

Could have been the name of a property or castle opr somewhere they lived

[Hugh Thompson]

No there's more,William Vaudrey alias Ley, Charitie Wattie alias Jenkin and others that I can't think of off the top of my head;)

[Hugh Thompson]

Sorry, Hi Ash.I've also seen the names reversed,John Ley alias Kempthorne and Grace Kemothorne alias Ley..

[ChristineR]

alias usually means another name that they are known by.

Perhaps there were more than one person in the area with the same names, so maybe this was a way of distinguishing between them.

Christine

[Hugh Thompson]

Thanks Christine,not knowing latin I wondered if al'as meant something else like "out of" or from, or something like that.;)

[michaelpipe]

Having looked at the Kempthorne family on British History online, it appears that they were fairly prominent in parts of Cornwall. Perhaps John Ley alias Kempthorne was a family line that issued from a relationship that was not approved, or perhaps illegitimate. He must have been of some standing, as he inherited by some means or other one ninth of the manor of Trefry's:

"The manor of Trefrize or Trefry's was formerly of considerable importance, and extended over several estates in this parish, Lewannick, and Northill. It has been supposed that it belonged to the family of Trefry; if so, it was most probably at a remote period, and a distinct family from that of Treffry in Lanhidrock . We can find no records which describe it as the property of Trefry: the last sole possessor was Sir Henry Trecarrell, of Trecarrell in Lezant; it afterwards became divided among his three coheirs, one of whom was Christopher Harris, of Trecarrell; but his share did not continue long in the Harris family. In 1620 it was divided between Sir Francis Vyvyan, Thomas Kendall, Esq., and John Ley alias Kempthorne" (Extract from Magna Britannia: volume 3).

Michael

[MarkJ]

Kempthorne is a fairly common surname in Cornwall.

No real suggestion regarding the use of "alias", but it is quite common in older records.
I think Michaels suggestion that it could be an unproven family line is one good thought.


Mark

[Hugh Thompson]

Hi Michael, thats interesting, I have George Ley married to Jane Trefuses,grand daughter of Sir Francis Drake.;)

[Guy Etchells]

The use of an alias is very often a pointer to bastardy further up the tree.
The family would use both the mother’s maiden name and the father’s name to ensure that they did not miss out at a later date.
It is not uncommon for such aliases to carry on two or three (or even more) generations.

The other main reason for using an alias normally dies out within the one generation and that is to avoid recognition.
I.E. Someone assumes an alias but is then recognised and the previous name is attached to that person in official records.
The alias in this case does not often pass down the generations.

Cheers
Guy

[AnnB]

This might help you with the Ley/Kempthorne alias. Taken from "Ancient West Country Families" -

'The family of Kempthorne derives its name from an ancient estate in the parish of Clawton, Devon, where it is probable they continued to reside for a considerable period, but eventually, in all probability about the beginning of the fifteenth century, upon failure of male issue of the elder line, the estates passed with the heiress to a younger son of the Leys of Beerferris, who settled at Kempthorne, and in course of time wrote themselves Ley, Ley alias Kempthorne, or Kempthorne alone.'

This is taken from a chapter entitled "Ley alias Kempthorne of Tonacombe". If you would like a copy of the rest, PM me with your e-mail address and I'll scan it and send it to you.

Best wishes
Ann

[Hugh Thompson]

Thanks everyone,|hug|Ash,Christine,
Michael, Mark, Guy and Ann,I think you've covered it all,it's starting to make more sense now. Regards Hugh.;)ps.hello again Mark, and Ann I've PM'd you about the copy.;)

[t@nya]

I have a child in my family who was baptised as Alias Elizabeth Tickle. Any idea of what that might mean?

[terrysfamily]

I have this in my tree too, they hail from North Lincolnshire.

The family name started of as RATTEN, RATTON and RATON, sometimes all 3 for the same person.

The next generation’s Baptisms had their names as RATON alias DRAYTON, RATON or DRAYTON and RATON/ DRAYTON.

The next generation all went by the name DRAYTON and has stayed that way down the generations.

Maybe that’s why I can’t get any further back than Thomas RATON b.1690 (somewhere in Lincolnshire)

It certainly makes it interesting trying to find them.|computer|

Terry

[Hugh Thompson]

HI Tanya, I've never seen an alias at the front of someone's name, more than likely a misspelled first name, eg, Alice, Elise or something similar, plenty of those in the PR's.
Terry, there's no end of different versions of spelling in my family's entries!!!|jedi|
Hugh.

[spison]

Hi Tanya,
I suspect that Hugh may be correct. I have an ancestor who was Alice on later written records but who was Allas initially.
Jane

[Mutley]

I have a child in my family who was baptised as Alias Elizabeth Tickle. Any idea of what that might mean?

I've got an Elizabeth Tickle known as Agnes.
Does yours come from Plymouth and marries a Daniel?

[t@nya]

I've got an Elizabeth Tickle known as Agnes.
Does yours come from Plymouth and marries a Daniel?

No, she comes from Droitwich, Worcestershire. Sorry. :(

It could be a misspelt first name but during the time she was baptised, early 1700s, that wasn't very common (having a first and second name).

[t@nya]

I just noticed that Alias Elizabeth's parents had baptised an earlier child, Elizabeth, so maybe that's why the Alias was appended to the front of Alias Elizabeth's name.

[Hugh Thompson]

I'd love to know the story behind that.
Hugh.:)

[MarkJ]

I just noticed that Alias Elizabeth's parents had baptised an earlier child, Elizabeth, so maybe that's why the Alias was appended to the front of Alias Elizabeth's name.

How strange!

One of my lot had a daughter called Harriet who died a few months after her birth - the next daughter born was named Harriot.
But many people seemed to simply re-use the name of a deceased child for the next suitable child - perhaps as a mark of respect, I am not sure.
It would seem a little odd today to do that, but it was certainly commonplace in the 19th century and earlier.

Mark

[t@nya]

How strange!

One of my lot had a daughter called Harriet who died a few months after her birth - the next daughter born was named Harriot.
But many people seemed to simply re-use the name of a deceased child for the next suitable child - perhaps as a mark of respect, I am not sure.
It would seem a little odd today to do that, but it was certainly commonplace in the 19th century and earlier.

Mark

Maybe the first Elizabeth didn't die and they just liked the name so much they used it again. :D

[DBCoup]

Maybe the first Elizabeth didn't die and they just liked the name so much they used it again. :D

Or perhaps one Elizabeth was named after one particular ancestor on one side of the family and the "balance" had to be redressed by naming another child Elizabeth after an ancestor on the other side of the family :confused:
daryl